Jesus says, "Come unto me..." This is His request for "action" on the part of those who hear His call. When I respond, "Lord I believe..." I am acting and verbs can be used to describe what I am doing.
In the New Testament there is a long debate about the "Works of the Law." These "Works of the Law" were actions that the children of Israel did in obedience to the 613 commandments left by Moses.
It is a fact that both of the above involve verbs to describe the "action" of the believer. Repentance - or "Coming to Jesus" is not a "Work of the Law" however. Moses never commanded anybody to turn to Jesus Christ for salvation. Though the Law and the Prophets did testify of Jesus Christ, the idea of converting from a life of sin and unbelief to a life of faith in the Messiah was never one of the 613 commandments nor a part of any of the later Talmudic traditions attached to them.
The same can be said about water baptism, as I just mentioned to Mike (above). In conclusion, neither repentance nor baptism are "works" in the sense that the New Testament uses the word. "Works" in the NT has a specific theological definition. In common vernacular today, the Evangelical movement has applied the meaning in a wider use. I am not an "Evangelical" (please notice the upper case "E"). I am theologically an Arminian and so are all of the "One Steppers" who preceded me.
We are made free from the penalty for our sins by repentance. Baptism accomplishes something as well when we "imitate" the risen Lord and begin our new life (
1 Peter 3:21 - "baptism saves us by the resurrection of Jesus Christ which results in a good conscience toward God").
Notice what Paul says in
Romans 6:18 - "
Being then made free from sin..."
How were these people "made free from sin?" See the previous verse,
Romans 6:17. They were made free by the grace of God and not the "works of the law." Moses didn't make them free, Jesus did.
Now, having been "made free from sin" - can we say that they are in a condition of having the atonement? (
Romans 5:11-18). They have the atonement and they are justified by Jesus Christ. Their sins are "paid" by the blood of the Lamb.
So... (the question that Paul is addressing)... what comes next? Next, they are to become "slaves" again (servants)... however, this time they are to be the "servants of righteousness" and not the "servants of sin."
They are saved, now they're supposed to "act like it." These new actions of righteousness however will not save them. They are already saved by the grace of God. These new actions will preserve them, they will serve as a witness to the lost, and they will benefit both other members of the church and members of the community at large.
But they (and we!) do these works of righteousness NOT to get save, NOT to show that we are more holy than anyone else. We do these actions as "slaves" (servants) of our Lord Who performed the greatest charitable gift of all when He laid down His life for us.
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